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Hey, and welcome to the second post in
our NYC series. On our second day in Manhattan, we explored the areas of Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo;
and we took a trip up to the Top of the
Rock, which is the viewing platform atop the Rockefeller Center. Again, we were up early and had another
ambitious day ahead of us, so there was no time to lose and after a coffee and
a chocolate chip muffin, we were off to explore the next part of this wonderful
city.

Just like
day one, we planned to go everywhere on foot. We left the hotel and started
walking in the direction of the Rockefeller Center, around a 30 minute journey.
On the previous day, we’d made a booking to go up the Top of the Rock at 8am, as we thought it would be perfect thing to
do on a clear morning, when not so many people are around. You are required to
make a booking in advance of going up, so don’t just turn up expecting you’ll
be able to go up whenever you like.

As we got
inside the entrance, we had to wait a few minutes and were then guided
upstairs. Just like at the Empire State Building, there is a queueing maze that
basically runs through 1 whole floor of the building and is very well
organized. We eventually got to the lift and took the journey up to the 86th
Floor. As you’re going up, you can feel your ears popping with the altitude,
which if you don’t work in a skyscraper, is slightly strange. As we got out of
the lift and entered the viewing platform, we weren’t disappointed. The view is
absolutely breathtaking, with Central Park in one direction and the city, as
well as a view of the Empire State Building and Times Square in another. There
are also 3 levels of viewing platforms and the walls enclosing the platforms
are made from glass, which means you have a really fantastic view. Actually,
when we compared it to the Empire State Building, we were far more impressed
and overwhelmed by the experience.

After 3
hours at Top of the Rock, we made our way to Chinatown, more specifically
towards Canal Street, which crosses
right across Manhattan from west to east. Canal Street lies directly between
China Town, on the south side, and Little Italy and SoHo, on the north side.

As you walk
down Canal Street from west Manhattan, you are confronted by diversity, culture
and the hectic, but charming atmosphere this area has to offer. Look right, and
you see Chinese street food sellers, restaurants and supermarkets. Look left
and you see classic Americano-Italian bistros with their chic wooden store
fronts. This theme continues as you enter the areas and the communities have
really found their place in this mega city. As you walk down the streets of
Chinatown, you could forget you were in the USA at all and even the sign
outside McDonalds was written in Mandarin. This is also the case at banks and
shops in the area. Chinatown offers a real ethnic food experience, with not
just the commercialized dishes on the menu, but also traditional favourites
which you might not expect to see in the west.

After we’d
had a taste of Chinatown, we crossed Canal Street into the area of Little
Italy. Right away you notice a change in the mood and the environment. The
people are somehow calmer and the pace of life is slower. The shops and
restaurants have a classic Italian feel and the area is very clean. We didn’t
eat in Little Italy (or in Chinatown), however if you’re looking for somewhere
to eat, why not try the first ever pizzeria to open in NYC, Lombardi’s Pizza, located on the corner
of Mott and Spring Street.

Around
Little Italy you will also find a lot of street art, which we found really
cool. Some of the art has been done by well-known street artists and it is
really amazing to look at. Just take a wonder through the streets and you will
be sure to find a masterpiece.

After we’d
finished looking around Little Italy, we decided to head to Broadway. Now this
is not the part of Broadway with the famous theatres, but it’s more a shopping
area which has the feeling of somewhere like Oxford Street in London. On this
part of Broadway you will find Bloomingdales, Topshop, American Apparel and
other familiar high street brands. We had a wonder around and then headed towards
SoHo, which is simply located on the other side of Broadway.

SoHo is a
trendy and somewhat alternative area of New York, famous for its loft art galleries
and boutique shops. SoHo is also famous for its architecture and you will see
some really beautiful buildings in the area, in many different styles. One of
the more prominent streets is Greene Street, which runs all the way from the
bottom of SoHo to the top, where it meets Greenwich
Village. There’s not a great deal to do in this area and it’s very residential,
but it’s very nice to see if you’re passing through and we’d definitely
recommend it.

After
another successful and spectacular day in NYC, we were ready to get something
to eat and head back to the hotel to make sure we got enough rest for day 3…
more to follow soon!